Where to stay: My favourite luxury hostels in Taiwan

Wondering where to stay in Taiwan that’s budget-friendly yet kinda cool? It’s easy to get affordable accommodation in Taiwan whether you prefer communal hostels or the privacy of budget hotel rooms, and through my many trips, I’ve found some amazing luxury hostels in Taiwan that have great design and ambience that you can stay in without busting your budget. Here are my reviews of some of my favourite luxury hostels all around Taiwan that I have personally stayed in and verified.My favourite luxury hostels in Taiwan:

A note: these recs are not the cheapest options on the market, but they aren’t expensive either and what makes them stand out is their strong design and individual quirks. All of them are very instagrammable for those who love their pretty pictures, but on top of that, they are generally quite accessible and have great service as well.

I’m kinda past roughing it out in the cheapest options on the market. I still remember my first hostel stay in Taiwan during my University days. Definitely cheap but it was a pretty squeezy stay in a place that looked liked someone’s old apartment, complete with a porta-toilet shower on the balcony and super hard beds. These places I’m recommending are definitely nicer!

TAIPEI

Star Hostel Taipei Main Station

For those who like the Muji aesthetic and want a hostel with a super convenient location.

Location

Taipei Star Hostel has an excellent location right next to Taipei Main Station, which makes it very convenient for those coming off the Airport MRT, as well as getting to the main bus, train and MRT stations. Q Square Mall and the underground Taipei City Mall are just 5 minutes away, so plenty of food and shopping options.

I stayed in a Single private for 1,450 NTD (S$67) per night that had an ensuite shower, toilet, air-conditioning and a TV mounted on the wall. I even had my own hairdryer and a free towel. The single room was very minimalist and not very large, but considering I was out most of the day, it was comfortable enough for me to rest in at night.

The dorm rooms beds actually look pretty comfortable and roomy from the pix, and at half the private room rate, they are an option I might consider on future trips back to Taipei.

The toilet + shower was to my right, the sink and door behind me.

Facilities

The hostel actually occupies the 4th and 5th floors of the building it is in, and it is a lot bigger on the inside then it looks from the outside. You remove your shoes at the main entrance and use a keycard to access the hostel living area, and also to access your individual room.

The overall design is lots of clean white walls and wooden furnishings. The lounge area is the centrepiece of the hostel and is a stunning welcome with high ceilings and natural light. There are lots of cosy nooks to sit around in, and a kitchen as well. They had a craft beer pop up when I was there and I made some new friends over craft beer.

Breakfast in the morning is a rotating menu that is prepared and plated by the hostel staff, with freshly cooked food and fresh fruits, it’s worth waking up for.

Just a small section of the common area – how cute is this place!Make time for breakfast, which is plated by the kitchen every morning and is always different.

Yilan Inspiration Hostel 霊感青年旅舎

Location

Yilan Inspiration Hostel is a 15-minute walk from the Luodong train and bus station and located in a residential area along a canal, though if you ride a scooter it’s just 5 minutes away. It’s a 20-minute walk to Luodong Night Market, but the owner does have bicycles that you can rent for free to save you the stroll.

View from my window of the 6-bed dorm just above the lounge area. There is a river right in front of the hostel that you can’t quite see from this pic.

Rooms

The dorm rooms each have their own concept – I picked the 6-bed dorm room with the tents because it looked the cutest, but just know that the mattress you sleep on inside the tent doesn’t have springs – not the most comfortable if you have a bad back.

I got to peek into the 4-bed dorm which has little wooden houses for each bed like mini log cabins. Pix of the 10-bed dorm with sturdy built-in beds stacked up in 3 layers make me think of a cat’s playground.

The bathrooms are shared and located outside of the rooms, with separate toilet and shower cubicles.

Tents in the 6-bed dormMy tent for the night. You can zip up the doorway for a little privacy and there is a light overhead in each tent

Facilities

Overall the hostel has a quirky and homey feeling. The welcome area has a cheery counter and there is a nice wooden communal area right in the front room. They have a little retail area selling stuff made by local Taiwanese designers. The rooms are located on the 2nd and 3rd levels up a rather narrow staircase.

Location

MINI Hotels Taichung Train Station is located 5-min walk from the Taichung Train Station, making it very convenient to get to and around Taichung and Taiwan. Taichung City’s attractions are more spread out, but you are within walking distance of the popular Miyahara Dessert place and the Painted Animation Lane.

View of the surrounding area from the rooftop terrace

Rooms

I had a single loft room which as advertised, was very snug but it was surprisingly comfortable. A staircase by the entrance leads up to the loft bed which could fit 2 people. There are a slim table and chairs, fridge, luggage rack and TV, as well as your own attached bathroom. It’s honestly quite surprising how much they could fit into a small space.

From the doorway – I’m using a wide angle camera so you can see that space is very tight indeed, but I either sat on the stairs, chairs or lounged in the bed upstairsA peek into the toilet

Facilities

The hotel design leans towards Instagrammable, with popular props like a fake telephone booth and even a car in the lobby. Each level has its own colourful mural design splashed across the corridor walls.

Breakfast takes place in the dining area just above the lobby area. If you want some fresh air, there is a rooftop area where you can look at downtown Taichung City from above.

Quirky props in the lobby make for good photo opsMurals decorate the corridors on each levelThe dining area

艸祭 Caoji Book Inn

Location

艸祭 Caoji Book Inn is very close to the Confucius Temple Shopping Street and the Koxinga Museum. It’s about 20 minutes walk or a short bus ride from the Tainan train station. It’s right next door to the famous Narrow Door Cafe.

Me standing in the entrance way of the Narrow Door Cafe. You can see Caoji Book Inn right next door on the right

The star feature in this hostel are the beds in the Mixed Dorms, little capsule beds built between and behind existing bookshelves. These beds cover 2 levels and aren’t segregated by separate rooms and doors – you just have a curtain for some privacy and earplugs to block out sound, and a large locker under your bed to put your things in. Each area of the mixed dorm has at least 10 beds in it.

There is a separate wing with its own entrance strictly for female guests that costs a little more – I stayed in that female dormitory which had at least 20 capsule beds in it, also with its own curtain and capsule and lots of books all around. The room wasn’t full that day so it felt pretty spacious and quiet.

They have smaller 2-6pax female only dorms as well for those who prefer more privacy.

The co-ed dorms in the bookshelves. The space where I’m taking this pic from is technically the corridor as you need to walk by the beds to get to the rooftop lounge areaI had to stay in the female dorm because the co-ed dorm was fully booked, but there were a ton of books here as wellMy little capsule – lockers were underneath (you can’t see in this pic) and inside the capsule there are sockets, lights and hooksThe toilet is amazing – it reminds me of Japanese bathhouses and besides free shampoo and soap, they have free lotions and other skincare products as well!

Facilities

The hostel is complete hipster heaven filled with random oddities and antiques in every corner. The ground floor and entrance is a quaint bookshop cum cafe with a nice quiet ambience perfect for reading with a cuppa. The back area has a reading room and a basement of sorts which doubles up as a gallery for mini exhibitions.

In the secured living areas, there is a lounge and breakfast space on the top level (Level 4 I think) with lots of table and chairs, and an outdoor patio as well.

There’s a hole in the floor! Walk through the basement to get to the reading area in the back. The stairs lead up to the female dorm.Bookshelf display in the basement area – there was an art exhibition in the rest of the space

Other Taiwan Accommodation Recs

I’ve stayed in plenty of hostels while exploring Taiwan, and while most of them were good stays, those featured in the list above really stood out for me. While my other stays might not warrant a detailed feature, I’ve compiled a list of budget hotels and cheaper accommodation that I would still recommend to my friends visiting Taiwan. [affiliate links]

Taipei

Datong – Taipei City Home: Located near the Star Hostel, it has a homey feel and a great chatty host, great for those who like a more personal touch

Datong – Mudan House: Close to Dihua Street and the local favourite Yansan Night Market. Not the most central of MRT lines but still near enough the station and easy to get around.

Da’an – First Hostel: Close to Shida Night Market, it’s not the most central but the hostel has a nice Scandinavian aesthetic and it offers FREE LAUNDRY.

Kaohsiung

Hengchun – Rainbow Wave: I made a lot of friends in this hostel which offers surfing lessons. The owner and his partner were really friendly and lovely people, and the breakfast is hand-prepped every morning at the counter and of excellent quality.

Jaclynn Seah is The Occasional Traveller, a Singaporean girl who knows what it’s like to juggle work and wanderlust. She hopes to inspire busy people to remember to take that time off and travel more! More here.

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About Me

Jaclynn Seah is The Occasional Traveller, a Singaporean girl who knows what it’s like to juggle work and wanderlust. She hopes to inspire busy people to remember to take that time off and travel more! More here.